Cauterizing-syringe



E. T. BUSSELL. 7 Self Adjusting Uterine Cautery.

No. 16,680. Patented Feb. 24,1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS T. RUSSELL, OF SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA.

CAUTERIZING-SYRINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,680, dated February 24, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS T. RUSSELL, of Shelbyville, in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Instrument for Making Application of Medicinal Agents Directly to the Vagina and Uterus of Females; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description, to wit:

The nature of my invention consists in providing afliicted females with an instrument, so self adjusting in its operation when introduced into the vagina, as to enable them to efiectually apply remedies in impalpable powder, or otherwise for the removal of prolapsus uteri, vaginitis, dysmenorrhea, ulcerated 0s t-incae, gonorrhea, &c.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In what follows, I wish to make the accompanying drawings and figures a part of this specification, like letters and figures referring to like parts.

Figure 1 is the self adjusting uterine cautery, all complete, with plunger and cauterizing rod pushed entirely up. Fig. 2 represents the instrument with the sponges, cautery, and all drawn into the glass tube, as it must be when inserted in the vaginathe dotted lines showing the expanded spring fingers as they embrace the neck of the uterus, when they are liberated by the partial withdrawal of the glass tube. Fig. 3 is the hollow plunger to which the spring fingers are permanently attached. Fig. 4 is the rod that passes entirely through the hollow plunger, upon the extremity of which is attached a sponge for the purposes before mentioned.

A, is a hollow tube, made of glass or any other non-corrosive substance, four inches long (or more if desired) and about six or seven eighths of an inch in diameter. It is left open at one end and mounted with a metallic cap, 1, at the other. The cap, 1, has an aperture in its center sufiiciently large for the free passage of the hollow plunger, B. The hollow plunger, B, is made a little more than four inches long, and upon one end is attached a milled round thumb button, 2, and at the other from three to six expanding spring fingers are soldered, leaving an aperture in the center for the free passage of the cautery rod, C.

non-corroding metals.

The spring fingers, a, a, a, a, a, a, diverge at equal distances from each other, so that their ends, (for the attachment of sponge,) occupy a diameter of about one and a half inches, or more. The cautery rod, 0, is made a little longer than the hollow plunger, B, and spring fingers included. Upon .one end is fastened a milled button, 3, and

the other end is flattened and perforated for stitching on a cauterizing sponge. These perforations are represented at d, d. I remark here, that any other absorbent, of I fibrous substance, may be used instead of sponge for mounting the uterine ends of the expanding spring fingers, a, a, a, a, a, a, as well as for the center cautery, (as represented at b, b, b, b, b, b, 0,) but, as a general practice sponge, fine and soft, is sufficient. I

In the construction of this instrument, I prefer glass to any other material for the large or outer tube, A, but, for the hollow plunger, cap, and thumb buttons as also center rod, almost any metal'will do providing the exposed parts are electroplated, or otherwise covered with some of the precious or I prefer that this coating be of silver.

The spring fingers must be made of metal sufliciently elastic to insure their free expansion when desired, to embrace the neck of the uterus, in making medicinal applications. They must also be protected from corrosion, as well as other portions of the instrument. The necessity for this precaution, grows out of the fact that, in the treatment of ulcerated ostincae it is indispensably necessary to use nitrate of silver or other caustic substances that will rapidly corrode the baser metals -In the treatment of luxated uterus as also vaginitis, sulfate of zinc is a favorite remedy to give tone to the relaxed vagina and constringe the parts :and therefore another reason why the instrument must be as indestructible to such agencies as possible and practicable.

The mode of application of remedies by this instrument is simplemay be readily comprehended by any femaleso that she can just as safely and certainly apply the prescriptions of her physician as he could do wit-h the aid of a speculum. When it is desired to cauterize, or apply any milder treatment to the mouth of the uterus, the patient is furnished with the necessary medicine, in powder, which she is directed to place upon the center sponge, 0, Which she must draw back of the others a short distance,in this condition they are all drawn into the glass tube. The glass tube is then introduced into the vagina until the end of it comes in contact With the mouth of the uterus. At that point the hollow plunger is pressed against'the ostincae (with its sponge &c,) while the glass tube is Withdrawn just enough to liberate the spring fingers, when they open out and grasp the neck of the uterus-passing their sponge extremities up around the same into the vaginal cul-de-sac. Here they hold the uterus steady, and guide the center sponge (WhlCliiS operated by the rod 0,) up into the mouth of the uterus,

Which is inevitable from the very nature of the instrument. The sponge on the spring fingers serves as a protection as Well as a means of cleansing to this vaginal cul-desacWhich cannot be reached in all its parts by any other instrument, especially Where there is a bad retroversion of the uterus.

The instrument is used for the application of other remedies in a similar Way.

If a physician desires to get up a galvanic, vitalizing influence in the neck of the uterus and contiguous parts, he can do so by means sponge, the other on the outside of the tufts of sponge on the spring fingersin this relation to each other they are introduced and separately applied, though unmixed, yet applied With the same instrument at the same instant, one to the cervix uteri and vaginal cul-de-sac, While the other is applied Within the lips of the mouth of the uterusthus getting up a most genial and happy galvanic current in the vicinity, curative in a preeminent degree.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The combination of hollow plunger, B, With cauterizing rod, C, incased, and divergent spring fingers With absorbent bulbous extremities, all connected with cylindrical tube A, substantially as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.

ERASTUS T." RUSSELL.

Attest:

WM. F. GREEN, L. BUssELL. 

